14.11.2022The Outbreak: a co-desigend, citizen science graphic novel

‘Remember, remember, the fifth of November’ said V in the eponymous graphic novel, V for Vendetta written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. On the 5th of November 2022 the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, together with EPAC and Conext, started the first step in developing what might be the first-ever graphic novel about pandemic ethics, developed with a co-design, citizen science approach.
 
During a workshop with a group of Gen Z volunteers we started exploring and probing how this generation fared during the pandemic, what kind of challenges it had to face, and how these challenges were understood and conceptualized. The resulting reflection, narratives and material will be used to develop first a storyline, and then a full-fledged graphic novel – illustrated by the artist Eric Buche.
 
The objective of The Outbreak is not just to testify what happened, but beyond that to build awareness, competence and capacity, so that more segments of our societies will be enabled to partake in the democratic discourse on public health management – participation which we believe is indispensable in a modern liberal democracy.
 
The workshop was covered in the media by Rhone FM and by Canal 9.